Captain Crunch Chicken Breast is the best homemade, breaded, chicken breast, strips, fingers, nuggets or tenders, baked in oven or air fryer recipe around. This Planet Hollywood Copycat can’t be beat!
Breaded Chicken Breast
I have never been a fan of Captain Crunch cereal and I really enjoy this Captain Crunch Chicken. Truthfully, I still can’t believe it either!
Surprisingly the flavors in this Captain Crunch Chicken blend perfectly together and I am highly recommending that you consider giving this recipe a try. Really.
I fell in love with Cap’n Crunch Chicken at Planet Hollywood years ago. After being nervous about trying their breaded chicken tenders, it was love at first bite.
I could not get enough of the chicken and I absolutely loved the dip.
This recipe is definitely a copycat and a great one at that!
We think we have just the right amount of Captain Crunch and Corn Flakes in the coating with some garlic and onion powder too!
I have also made this breaded chicken breast recipe creating chicken strips or nuggets and both kids and adults alike devour them.
You can literally serve this Captain Crunch Chicken as a meal or snack and with any side dish or all by itself. Perfect any time!
Crispy Baked Chicken Breast
It’s funny but I am always looking for new ways to make breaded chicken breasts, especially when the breading becomes crispy and crunchy.
As far back as I can remember, we made breaded chicken breasts inside the oven. I still do and always will. I love a good crispy baked chicken breast.
Don’t all chicken lovers?
Lately though I have been using and really enjoying my 5 quart air fryer but wished I bought the 6.5 quart air fryer. This appliance does so many things and is a pressure cooker or instant pot as well.
I went from not knowing what I was missing to now I can’t live without it. I just had to share that. I’m not saying to purchase the air fryer model I did.
You can find air fryers that are terrific, don’t have as many functions and are much cheaper. I just wanted to share my excitement in my new toy.
Kitchen gadgets are like Christmas morning to me!
Despite my excitement with my air fryer, I can and definitely will still use my oven. I just think this air fryer makes things easy, healthier and taste amazing.
You can still get crispy baked chicken breast in your oven. I just want you to know you can get it in an air fryer too!
Breaded Chicken Tenders
I mentioned earlier that I have also used this same recipe to make breaded chicken tenders or nuggets too! Chicken pieces of all sizes frankly. I used to always make them in my oven.
Now I use my air fryer too.
These breaded chicken tenders are crispy and delicious! I can’t stand soggy breading and this recipe does not disappoint.
I have included the approximate timing below for baked chicken tenders or nuggets, strips or fingers and full size breasts.
Remember chicken breasts vary in size and ultimately everyone will make different size fingers or nuggets. I always suggest to try your best to make sure all of your chicken pieces the same size so they cook uniformly.
At least you will know that once one is ready, they all will be!
The next time you prepare this recipe you will know exactly how long to bake your breaded chicken tenders or pieces for!
Chicken Finger Recipe
I have made so many different chicken finger recipes and this one by far is my absolute favorite. My family will also agree. There is something about this coating that just tastes great.
Crunchy chicken strips are what we are all searching for and these ones fit the bill. We find that coating the outside of your coated chicken pieces with cooking spray helps.
You don’t have to use it but I always do.
Such a simple step that makes such a difference with homemade baked chicken strips.
I really hope you will give it a try even though it sounds like a strange thing to do. I think you will be glad you did it.
Homemade Baked Chicken Strips
These homemade baked chicken strips are super easy. We choose to use melted butter to make this delicious chicken finger recipe but you can use a beaten egg if you prefer.
I urge you to try dipping your chicken or chicken pieces in butter, or garlic butter, at least once.
I know you’ll be glad you did. There is something a little different about the taste.
I grew up dipping chicken in egg and did so for much of my life until I discovered butter.
As a result I rarely use egg anymore.
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with egg, I just enjoy using butter better. Especially with these homemade baked chicken strips.
Maybe you will too! You never know.
Hollywood Crunch Chicken Recipe
Unfortunately, or fortunately, that is the name that stuck for this breaded chicken breast around our house for the longest time. Eventually, as my son aged, the name has become simply, Hollywood Chicken.
My son is becoming a man of fewer words or at least more efficient! ?
I suppose it was bound to happen. My son is growing up!
At least we all know what he is talking about when he says it.
This is a true story. My son will throw just about anything into two slices or bread or a bun.
He takes this recipe and makes an entire breaded chicken breast or makes homemade baked chicken strips.
He loves to place them inside a bun. Add some tomatoes, lettuce and even cheese. He says it is the perfect sandwich. Perhaps you will agree.
My son porefers this to buying a fast food take out sandwich. I’ll give it to him he is correct. These sandwiches do taste amazing.
Regardless, this Hollywood Crunch Chicken recipe will become simply Hollywood Chicken in your house in no time!
Ingredients in Captain Crunch Chicken
Ingredients in Captain Crunch Chicken- chicken breasts
- crushed corn flakes
- Captain Crunch Cereal
- melted butter or garlic butter (or an egg)
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- pepper
- cooking spray
How to make Captain Crunch Chicken
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and a rack coated in cooking spray. Set aside.
Crush the two cereals and mix together in a medium sized bowl.
Add onion powder, garlic powder and pepper.
Stir to combine.
Pour on to a plate. Set aside.
Melt butter or garlic butter in the microwave or on the stove. Your other option is to crack and beat an egg. Set aside.
At your workstation grab a chicken breast and beat it with a mallet until even or flattened.
Decide if you are going to make entire chicken breasts, strips or fingers or tenders or nuggets. Cut your chicken accordingly.
If making strips, I make three or four slices lengthwise, making the pieces as even as possible.
If making nuggets I cut the strips into three pieces each.
Dip chicken breast in the butter.
Next, roll and press chicken in crumb mixture until coated.
Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breasts or strips.
Bake for 40-45 minutes if using entire breasts, 25-30 minutes if baking strips and 15-20 minutes for nuggets. Regardless, make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
We usually spray cooking spray on top of prepared breasts before baking but this step is optional. Serve and enjoy!
Perfect Dip for Captain Crunch Chicken
I love to dip. Traditionally, this Cap’n Crunch Chicken is served at Planet Hollywood with a Honey Mustard Dip. Use your favorite mustard and add liquid honey until you reach your desired level of sweetness.
Then you are good to go.
Here is a problem for you. I also have some other dips you can use instead if you prefer. Think ranch, blue or bleu cheese, caesar and more. If you are interested, have a look at our BEST DIPS EVER.
If you only want honey mustard dip, have a look below. Easy as ever to make. Just try and make the dip earlier in the day if possible. The longer it sits in the fridge before serving the better.
Honey Mustard Dip
- ½ cup yellow or Dijon mustard
- ¼ to ⅓ cup liquid honey
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
In a small bowl, combine mustard and honey until smooth. Taste to see if you prefer more honey or mustard. Add a little at a time until you achieve your desired result.
Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired. I usually don’t add any salt or pepper. My husband adds pepper.
This sauce should be refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, the longer the better.
Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to one week.
Air Fryer Breaded Chicken Breasts
Making air fryer breaded chicken breasts could not be easier. With a little effort you will be more than happy with your results.
Rinse and pound chicken to uniform thickness where needed. Pat dry with paper towels and season each piece with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate or cutting board.
Prepare your basket with cooking spray and set aside.
Prepare chicken breasts according to directions and place each inside basket. As you lay each piece of chicken into the basket spray the exposed side with cooking spray and lay that side down in your basket.
Once all of the bottoms of your chicken your breasts are sprayed and placed inside your basket, in a single layer, as evenly spaced as possible, spray all of the tops of each chicken breast.
Place basket inside your air fryer.
Set your temperature to 400 degrees and cook until chicken is 165 degrees, 12 to 16 minutes, carefully flipping and rotating breasts halfway through cooking.
Remove your air fryer breaded chicken breasts from the basket and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Chicken Tenders or Strips
Just like with your air fryer breaded chicken breasts, making air fryer chicken tenders or strips is definitely worth the extra effort.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside.
Rinse and pound chicken to uniform thickness where needed. Pat dry with paper towels. Set aside on a plate or cutting board. Cut each breast lengthwise into three or four slices depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
If making nuggets, cut each slice into three or four pieces depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
Crush the two cereals and mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour on to a plate. Set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on your stove. Your other option is to beat an egg. Regardless of which you choose. Set aside.
At your workstation, grab a chicken breast nugget or strip and dip it in the butter or egg. Allow excess to drip off.
Next, roll and press chicken into crumb mixture until coated.
Place on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breasts or strips.
Place baking sheet in freezer until frozen, about 5 hours. Once frozen, you can easily drop your frozen nuggets or strips into a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container until needed.
These frozen nuggets or strips will keep in your freezer for about 2 months.
When you are ready to cook your nuggets prepare your basket with a coating of cooking spray.
Place nuggets or strips in your prepared basket.
Place basket in your air fryer on 400 degrees.
Cook for 7 minutes.
Adjust chicken pieces gently to reorganize and switch locations of all the pieces. My husband removes the basket, dumps it carefully into a big bowl and then right back into the basket.
His method is fast.
I adjust the pieces inside the basket which definitely takes more time but works just the same.
My method is more time consuming but fabulous still! ?
Regardless, place the basket back in your air fryer until chicken is crispy and registers 165 degrees, another 6 to 11 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Just in case this chicken dish isn’t for you I have listed some others below you just might want to have a look at. You can never have too many chicken recipes. Hopefully you will enjoy them as much as we do!
Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try
Perfect Oven Barbecued Chicken
Cheesy Barbecue Bacon Chicken Breast
Balsamic Orange Maple Glazed Chicken
Sweet Balsamic Apple Glazed Chicken Breasts
Bacon or Prosciutto Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Maple Garlic Glazed Chicken Breasts
Crispy Onion Honey Mustard Chicken
Balsamic Raspberry Garlic Chicken
The Best Alice Springs Chicken Copycat
Bacon Wrapped Barbecue Chicken
Cordon Bleu Hasselback Chicken
Quick and Easy Apricot Chicken
Crunchy Barbecue Onion Chicken
Captain Crunch Chicken Video
Captain Crunch Chicken
Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, whole or cut into strips
- ¾ cup corn flakes, crushed
- ¾ cup Captain Crunch cereal, crushed
- ½ cup butter, garlic butter or 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- cooking spray
Honey Mustard Dip
- ½ cup yellow, spicy or Dijon mustard
- ¼ -⅓ cup liquid honey
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tinfoil and a rack lightly coated in cooking spray. Set aside.
- Crush the two cereals and mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour on to a plate. Set aside.
- Melt butter in the microwave or on the stove. If you don't want to use butter crack and beat an egg to dip your chicken in. Set aside.
- At your workstation grab a chicken breast and beat it with a mallet until even or flattened.
- Decide if you are going to make entire chicken breasts, strips or fingers or tenders or nuggets. Cut your chicken accordingly.
- If making strips, I make three or four slices lengthwise, making the pieces as even as possible.
- If making nuggets I cut the strips into three pieces each.
- Dip chicken or pieces in the butter or egg.
- Next, roll chicken in crumb mixture until coated. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breasts or strips.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes if using entire breasts, 25-30 minutes if baking strips and 15-20 minutes for nuggets. Regardless, make sure your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. We usually spray cooking spray on top of prepared breasts before baking but this step is optional. Serve and enjoy!
Air Fryer Captain Crunch Chicken Breasts
- Rinse and pound chicken to uniform thickness where needed. Pat dry with paper towels and season each piece with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate or cutting board.
- Prepare your basket with cooking spray and set aside.
- Prepare chicken breasts according to directions and place each inside basket. As you lay each piece of chicken into the basket spray the exposed side with cooking spray and lay that side down in your basket.
- Once all of the bottoms of your chicken your breasts are sprayed and placed inside your basket, in a single layer, as evenly spaced as possible, spray all of the tops of each chicken breast.
- Place basket inside your air fryer.
- Set your temperature to 400 degrees and cook until chicken is 165 degrees, 12 to 16 minutes, flipping and rotating breasts halfway through cooking.
- Remove chicken from the basket and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Air Fryer Captain Crunch Chicken Strips and Nuggets
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack and set aside.
- Rinse and pound chicken to uniform thickness where needed. Pat dry with paper towels. Set aside on to a cutting board.
- Cut each breast lengthwise into three or four slices depending on the size of your chicken breasts.If making nuggets, cut each slice into three or four pieces depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
- Crush the two cereals and mix together in a medium sized bowl. Add onion powder, garlic powder and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour on to a plate. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on your stove. Your other option is to beat an egg. Regardless of which you choose. Set aside.
- At your workstation, grab a chicken breast nugget or strip and dip it in the butter or egg. Allow excess to drip off.
- Next, roll and press chicken into crumb mixture until coated.
- Place on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining breasts or strips.
- Place baking sheet in freezer until frozen, about 5 hours. Once frozen, you can easily drop your frozen nuggets or strips into a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container until needed.
- These frozen nuggets or strips will keep in your freezer for about 2 months.
- When you are ready to cook your nuggets prepare your basket with a coating of cooking spray.
- Place nuggets or strips in your prepared basket.
- Place basket in your air fryer on 400 degrees.
- Cook for 6 or 7 minutes.
- Adjust chicken pieces gently to reorganize and switch locations of all the pieces. My husband removes the basket, dumps it carefully into a big bowl and then right back into the basket. His method is fast.
- I adjust the pieces inside the basket which definitely takes more time but works just the same.
- Regardless, place the basket back in your air fryer until chicken is crispy and registers 165 degrees, another 6 to 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Honey Mustard Dip
- In a small bowl, combine mustard and honey until smooth. Taste to see if you prefer more honey or mustard. Add a little at a time until you achieve your desired result.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste if desired. I usually don't add any salt or pepper. My husband adds pepper.
- This sauce should be refrigerated for at least an hour before serving, the longer the better.
- Store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to one week.
